Shipping container



July 15, 1952 H. H. STRAUSS SHIPPING CONTAINER 2 SI-IEETS-SI-IEET 1 Filed March 5, 1951 INVENTbR.

H. STRAUSS J y 1952 H. H. STRAUSS 2,

SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed March 5, 1951 2'SHEET$-SHEET 2 7 5 9 ,0 76 v INVENTOR. HERMAN H. STRAuss BY fJM M,

Patented July 15, 1952 SHIPPING CONTAINER Herman H. Strauss, St. Louis, Mo., 'assignor to Gaylord Container Corporation,- St. a corporation ofMaryland Louis, Mo.,

Application March 5, 1951, Serial No. 213,919

, 1 This invention relates to heavy duty shipping containers, particularly of the class known as drumpaks comprising a multi-sided tubular body and a separate end closure disk fitting in one or ,each end of said tubular body and supported and/or retained therein by internal hollow ledge sections formed by inwardly folded marginal flaps of the side wall panels thereof.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide for automatically and irreversibly looking said hollow ledge sections together at their adjacent ends to form a continuous hollow inner peripheral supporting and/or retaining ledge for the end closure. Another object is to provide a continuous hollow ledge having a cross-sectional shape which will greatly increase the strength and rigidity of the ledge and container. Another obiect is to shape the folded ledge forming sections with a wide base for vertical stacking and to insure adequate stacking strength. These and other objects and advantages .will become apparent hereinafter.

According to the present invention, the side wall panel fiaps atone or both ends of the container are progressively folded inwardly along four spaced parallel score lines into said end of said container to form on the inner sides of said wallpanels; hollow ledge sections of substantially rectangular cross section with the four right angled sides of the rectangular hollow ledge positioned, the outermost ledge panel flatwise against the inner face of said side panels, the

next panel facing inwardly from said end of said container, the third ,panel parallel to the side panelsrand the fourth, facing outwardly perpendicular to said wall panels.

The invention is applicable to containers of various types and of square, rectangular, or polygonal shape.

The invention consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed. In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and wherein like numerals and like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the body of a square container is formed,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cut-out part of the body blank employed in the formation of a square or rectangular container,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cut-out part of the Y body blank employed in the formation of an octagonal container, v

, Fig. 4 is a plan view of the cut-out part of the body blank employed in the formation or a hexagonal container,

1 Claim. (01. 229-55) Fig. i 5 is-a perspe'cti e view illustrating the container formed from the blank of Fig. 2 in its completed form with a portion removed to show detail, I, I: i

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail cross sectional view taken along the line 66 in Figure 5,

Figs. 7 through 11 illustrate the progressive steps taken in folding the last marginal flap ofa hexagonal container down to its final position, and

Fig. 12 is a plan view of one corner of the-container of Fig. 5 with the panels of adjacent-sew tions folded inwardly along the scores 6, 'butnot folded along the scores 6a, 617, or 60.

In Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings this invention is shown embodiedin the heavy duty shipping container comprising a rectangular open-ended body 'A and an end closure disk B fitting therein adjacent to each end there'- of, said tubular body and end closures bein'g'prefserably made of corrugatedboard, fibreboard, or like material. The tubular body of the container or carton is divided by vertical creases or scores I into four sidewall panels 2 and is made from a flat blank having a flap 3 at one end that over..- laps and ispermanently secured by staples 4, tape, or other suitable means to the oppositee'nd of said blank at one vertical corner of said tubular container.

Each side wall panel 2 is provided withupper and lower marginal flaps 5 that are each divided by four spaced parallel horizontal scorelines .6, 6a, 6b, and 6c,respectively, into an inner marginal panel 1, an inner intermediate panel 8, an outer intermediate panel 9, and an outer marginal panel 10. As shown in Fig. 1, a hexagonal shaped notch I l is formed in each end of each'of the upper and lower marginal flaps 5 of .each side wall panel 2. One 'side of each hexagonalshaped notch l I extends from the score line 6 to the score line 6a, therebyproviding the inner marginal panel 1 with anoblique-angled end l2, and the other side of said notch extends from-the score line 62) to the score line 60, thereby providing the outer intermediate panel 9 with an oblique-angled end l3. The inner intermediate panel 8 and the outer marginal panel [0: are provided with square or right-angled ends 14 and. I5- respectively.

The flaps 5 at each end of the tubularbodyA I of the container are each bent progressively inwardly-into said 'endalong the score lines 60, 6b, 6a and 6 to form a hollow horizontally disposed ledge section C of substantially square crosssection on the inside face'of the side wall' panel 2 which carries said fiapl In this folded ledge the drawings, the ledge section C is positioned with the panel l seated fiatwise against the corresponding side wall panel 2 of the container, with the panel 9' disposed horizontally or extending normal t'o-said sidewall panel and facing inwardly away from the adjacent end of said container, with the panel 8 parallel to the side of said wall panel, and with the horizontal panel i facing outwardly toward said end. The'vertic'al panel ID of the hollow right angled square" ledge section C is positioned with its. upper edge snugly seated in the vertex of the right angle formed by the horizontal panel 1 of said ledge section, and the corresponding side wall panel 2 of the container. p

All of the ends of the panels of the upper and lower marginal flaps sswhich extend fromxthe side-wallpanel 2 and which-form thehexagonalshaped notch- H are disposed at-an angle that will bring said ends into conterminous endwise abutting relation when said flaps are folded to final relation. By this arrangement the ledge sections C are rigidly and irreversibly wedge lookedin' end to end relation in the end of the tubular bodyA- of thecartonto form therein a continuous internal peripheral ledge of hollow square cross-section. V

- Figure 12 is a plan viewwhich illustrates the hovel shape of the ledge'pa-nels required to form the wedge locking of the sections into a continuousledge. In the drawingthe adjacent ledge panels T only are shown in their final-position, the-panels 8-, 9 and-- Hl and corresponding panels .8; Qua-rid d0 of" the adjacentsection' being extendiedfflatwise to illustrate the overlap oneither side of the45 diagonal line It bisecting; thecornenofuthe-scontainer; The overlap of adjacent 1 panelsfl; 9- and Ill to the right and to the left ofi'thediagonal indicates the; amount of board each of these corresponding panels requires to provide end-wise abutment of each panel with its: corresponding panel of the adjacent sections when the panels are folded, intofinal position as 'vslescfibed for irreversibly wedge locking each. section into a continuous ledge. .The upper and lower end closure disks Bsnugly fitl within the tubular body A of thecontainer w inwardly of the" continuous hollow right-angled hr forming the continuous? internal. periph- V erali hollow 'square ledge in one end. of the tu- V bular bodyprior totheiinserition of the first closure disk into said body, the margnal fiap- 5 of the side wall lpanel' is progressively pre-folded along: its-scorelines 60', to, 6a, and 6, and then foldedinwardlyon the score line-ll into thetubular. body as far as possible, then curled inwardly and npwardlyto the said: side wall to its final position. The remaining fiapsiare then folded inthe same manner: to complete the hollow peripheral square supporting ledge.

and 6a to form the hollow right-angled square ledge section, after which said flap is folded along the score line 6 to bring said section into its final position in the end of the container. The next adjacent flap 5 is then progressively folded along its score lines 60, 6b, and 6a thereof to form a hollow right-angled triangle of the said flap with the outer marginal panel l0 positioned flatwise against the inner marginal panel 9 and then the said outer marginal panel Ill and intermediatepanels 8 and 9 are folded inwardly thence final position-in asimil'ar manner. The last flap,

however, when foldeda'long the score lines 60, to, and. 6a to form. the square rib section, overlaps the ends of the adjacent finally positioned ledge sections at opposite endsthereof, and this last ledge section when folded inwardly at score line 6 into its final position snaps over the ends of the. finally ositione ledge section at opposite ends thereof, thus completing the continu ous internal peripheral hollow square ledge and irreversibly looking all of the ledgeforrhing seetions together as a result" of the abuttingjoints between the ends of the panels 7, 8, 9-, and M of the adjacent rib sections.

The ledge, panel's" Land 9" are actually inner and outer panels and are in substantially-parallel spaced relationship with". each other. The panels fiflactuallydefine' the opening in the container end. The panels it are in substantially parallel relationship with the panels 8 and these'panels [0' are. in. face contacting relation to the adjacent sidewall body panel 2. Thus, th combined panels 1, 8, 9 and, [0? actually arerectangular'in cross section. and. form the hollow ledge sections which, when, properly disposed. and arranged with respect to each other, form a continuous infoldedj ledge at the ends of the container; 'In the illustrations shown in Figs. 7 to 11,111- clusive, the tubular body of the carton is of polygonal shape-and the six side wall panels 2a have upper .andlowermargin'al flaps 511' that are similar to, and. are progressively folded along score lines 60, 6b, Ba, and 6 inthe same manner as the marginal flaps. 5. of the hereinbefore described four-sided carton to form hollow square ledge forming ribs C of the same cross-sectional shape as the ledge forming ribs ,0 of, the four-sided carton. Inthis. six-sided cartonw construction, thehexagon-shaped notchesl la with thev ends of the flaps: 5a, have their sides disposed at'the particular; anglesrequired to provide the panels 1 with oblique-angled ends l2a; the panels 8' with rightrangled ends, and the panels 9 with. oblique-angled ends. on, so that the ends or the panels 1 of adjacent ledge forming sectionsC and the ends of the-paneled, 9 and III are. brought into conterminous endwise abutting relation to formwedge joints which look the ledge section's together in the form of a continuous. internal ledge of hollow square cross-section.

Within the limits of the tensile strength of the bendable material of which the container is constructed, increased weight of loading more cfjior the end closures of the container. The describedsquare ledge section results from a specific spacing of the score lines on the mar- 'i ectually'interlocks the h0llowledge sectionsinto a continuous irreversible support and/orretainer constructed of paperboard about in thickness,

the width of the panel 1 may be 1%", the width of.panel' 8 may be 1 /8", the width of panels may 3 be 1%"; and the width of panel 10 may be 1-14' The mechanical interlocking feature of the ledge sections results from the novel angular construction of the scored marginal flaps;- Each fold of theflaps is slotted or slit and cut out in such manner that when the flap is folded into its ultimate position with respect to the side wall panel, the plane of the end of each side of each square hollow ledge section thus formed will be in counterminous end abutment with the corresponding side of the continuous ledge section.

The angular cut-outs and slots or slits in the marginal flaps are constant for all square, hexagonal or all polygonal type receptacles regardless of variations in diameter or size of said wall panels within each class. The novel geometric design of the cut-outs is arrived at by (1) slotting or slitting the marginal flaps vertically along the median plane of the side wall score line I to the inter-section of the median plane of flap score 60, (2) determining the angle of the cutting line which is to extend from the flap score 8 to the flap score 6a. This angle is derived from the formula- =cutting angle in which N is the number of side walls of the receptacle. This cut is carried from each side of the intersection of the median planes of the vertical side wall score I and the flap score 6, thence to the median plane of the flap score So, then perpendicular to the score line Bu to the score line 61), and thence to the median line of the flap score 6a, then perpendicular to the score line Ba to the score line 6b, and thence to the inter sectionof the median planes of the flap score '60 and the boundary lines of the vertical slot 1.

This cut-out with the corresponding reversed For a hexagonal shaped receptacle, the cutting line will be This geometric cut-out design results in the conterminous end abutment of each fold of each marginal flap with the corresponding fold of the contiguous marginal flap when said flaps are-raided into their final' 'position, and is a'n essemiarreatureor the invention.

' The novelty; therefore, of the invention comprise's'the construction, shape and assembly of the folds'or'panels ofthe marginal flaps of the container, which in their ultimate position form a continuous hollowrib'of rectangular cross-section in combination and in cooperation with the design of cut-outs and slots or slits in said flaps whereby upon folding each rib section into its-described form, it rests upon and overlaps the two "adjace'nt'folded flaps and may be snapped into its final place, completing the continuous hollow supporting peripheral rib, the overlapping porbe quickly and easily folded and automatically and irreversibly wedge-locked together to form strong and rigid continuous hollow end closure retaining and/or supporting ledges for the end closure disks. The hollow rectangular cross-sectional shape of the ledges provides a wide base for stacking and greatly increases the strength and rigidity thereof, and the beveled ends of adjacent end and intermediate panels of the square folded ledge forming flaps match together perfectly along lines bisecting the angle of Junction thereof to form wedge locked joints which prevent the flaps from being unfolded without destroying or damaging them.

The invention is applicable to containers of square, rectangular, triangular or polygonal shape merely by varying the angularity of the sides of the hexagon-shaped notches in the ends of the ledge forming flaps in accordance with the formula hereinbefore described. The size of the hollow rectangular cross-section of the ledges may be varied by varying the width and score line spacing of the ledge forming flaps according to the ratios hereinbefore described. The angularity of the sides of the hexagon-shaped notches remains constant for a container having a given number of sides regardless of the diameter of the container.

If desired, the top and bottom closure of the container may be glued to the hollow inner peripheral supporting ledge to provide a completely siftproof package. The outer marginal panel l0 may also be glued to the side wall panel if desired. The top and bottom closures may be made of wood, metal or other suitable material to provide increased strength where required and desired.

What I claim is:

A shipping container comprising a tubular body having a plurality of connected-together side wall panels, an extension of each panel constituting a similar hollow ledge section consisting of four substantially similar connected-together panels, an outer panel extending substantially at a right angle inwardly from the end of each side wall panel, an opening defining panel directly connected to the right angularly extending panel and disposed in spaced parallel relationship to each side wall panel, an inner panel directly connected to each opening defining panel and disposed in spaced parallel relationship to the right angularly extending panel, a. free end panel con- 7 7 nected direetly to the inner; panel and in Ieee contacting relation to eaeh radjaeent body panel and substantially parallel wi th each opening de- "finingpenel, thus resulting, sin-ledge sections recta-ng'ular in cross sectien,- whichledge sections are-disposedinwerdly ef the body at one end -thereei-to form a continuous ledge for an end away from their respective body panel'si the adjeeent ends eithe ledge-sections forming a fixed znitre joint at the interier junctures of the body and ledge panels and with the said vertical edges and the said inwardly extending. edges in contacting. relationshln andsaid contacting and vertical edges forming the said fixed joint f 02 p??? ventingdisplacement pf any one or all of the ledge sections relative to each-other endto the body.--- on v 1 HERMAN'HL STRAU$S1 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 4

UNITED STATES PATENTS U Name Date 2,142,101 I B'adhmyr' and; Jan. 3, 193!) 7 

